Nail packaging machine



July 15, 1952 s, OTTO 2,602,942

NAIL PACKAGING MACHINE Filed April 20, 1948 INVENTOR.

STUART OTTO HIS ATTORNEYS 3 nearer to the north pole will, when passing down the chute, have their heads pointed toward the north pole and, similarly, those nails having their heads nearer to the south pole when entering the chute will have their heads pointed in that direction as they pass down the chute. As a consequence of the magnetic symmetry of the chute relative to the magnetic field, approximately 50% vof the nails in the batch Will have their heads pointing in one direction and the other 50% will have their heads pointed in the opposite direction. This is a particularly desirable result from the point of view of packing a given batch of nails into a container of the smallest possible volume.

When nails are packaged while they are in substantial parallelism, the saving in volume of containers for a given weight of nails varies from 20% for short, fiathead nails to as much as 60% for some types of long, thin nails and generally averages about 35 to 40%.

j Reference isnow made to the accompanying drawing wherein: V a

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a nail packaging unit constructed in accordance with i the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the relationship between the chute and magnet poles of the unit shown in Figure 1; and

Figures 3 to 5 are schematic representations, similar to Figure 2, showing several alternative means of arranging the magnet poles to produce a concentration of magnetic flux at the bottom of the chute.

The unit illustrated in Figure 1 includes an intermittently moving conveyor I0, a dribble arrestor II, a scale [2, a vibrating hopper I4, a chute I6 provided at the top with a funnel I1 and disposed between the opposite poles I9 and 20 of an electro-magnet 2|, and an elevator 22 adapted to move empty containers successively to-filling position at the bottom-of the chute I6.

The intermittently moving conveyor I0 conveys the nails from any suitable source such as a supply hopper to the scale I2 and is provided with a dribble arrestor II- at its end. At the moment that a predetermined weight of nails has, been deposited upon the scale I2, the movement of the conveyor I0 is halted and the dribble .arrestor I is actuated to prevent nails that have left the conveyor I0 but not yet reached the scale I2 from being deposited in the scale.

The batch of nails in the scale I2 is then deposited upon the vibrating hopper l4 and the scale I2 is made ready to receive another batch of nails from the conveyor III which is set into operation at the same time that the dribble arrestor II is deactivated. The vibrating hopper I4 is made to vibrate'by meansof a vibrator I la. to spread the nails out more or less uniformly and conduct them to the funnel II. The vibrating hopper I4 has the function of bouncing the nails in the batch to such an extent that they become separated from one another. nails are then individually, but in rapid suc- The 'of the chute is stronger than at the top. This can be accomplished in any one of several ways,

such as illustrated schematically in Figures 2 to 5. In Figures 1 and 2, extra pole pieces |9a and 28a. are inserted between the chute I6 and the pole pieces l9 and 20 to decrease the air space between the poles in the vicinity of the bottom of the chute. In Figure 3, for example, the magnet poles are tilted slightly so that they are closer to one another at the bottom than at the top. In Figure 4, the pole pieces are divided into relatively narrow pieces I91) and 26b and relatively thick pieces I and 200, the thick pieces being in the vicinity of the bottom of the chute I6. Finally, in Figure 5 there are shown tapered pole pieces [9d and 22d which are thicker at the bottom than at the top so as to bring about a gradual increase in the concentration of the magnetic flux.

For the most efficient operation, it is important that the bottom of the chute l6 be above the bottom of the pole pieces so that the bottom of the container 24 in which nails are to be deposited will not be below the point at which the magnetic fiux is strongest. In this way, most of the nails that are deposited in the chute I6 not only become concentrated in the lower portion of the chute but are actually moved into the container 24 before the magnet 2| is deactivated or reversed. As a result, the remaining nails do not have very far to fall when, for example, the polarity of the poles is momentarily reversed so asv to completely demagnetize the magnet. The complete demagnetization of the magnet 2| in effect removes the magnetic field from the now filled container 24 so that it' can be lowered for removal from the elevator 22 without the use of a plunger.

In operation, the magnetic field is deactivated or, if necessary, rapidly and successively reversed, and then deactivated, when all the nails in a given batch have been deposited in the chute I6. As soon as all the nails in the batch are deposited in the container 24, the elevator 22 supporting the filled container descends so that the filled container can be removed and replaced by an empty container. When this is accomplished, the elevator 22 rises to raise an empty container into receptive position at the bottom of the chute I6 and the magnetic field is reactivated.

In the meantime, i. e., while the container 24 is being filled with the nails in a given batch and then lowered, the scale I2 receives nails from the conveyor IQ and over the inactive dribble arrestor until the predetermined weight'of nails has been deposited therein. At the moment the scale is satisfied-the conveyor I0 is stopped and the dribble arrestor II is activated to catch any nails that; may already have left the conveyor but not already have reached the scale so that the batch in the scale will not be overweight. At the same moment, or a short interval before the magnet is reactivated, whichever is later, the batch of nails is dumped from the scale I2 into the vibrating hopper I4, the short interval being no lon than the time it takes the first hail of a batch'deposited in the funnel I! to travel the length of veyor I0, dribble arrestor scale l2, magnet 2|,

and elevator 22 may be synchronized as described by means of any suitable arrangement. The particularmeans employed to bring about the described synchronization of these elements does eats-sets fofin a 'partjof the invention claimed herein. "It'i'sfobvious thafma rly en ages ybemiade in the construction of the apparatus illustrated withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention. Thus, for example, the minimum spacing between the magnet poles may be made adjustable to accommodate chutes adapted to'r'ec'eive longer or shorter nails. All such changes are intended to be included within the scope'of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: I ,7 s I 1; nail packaging machindcomprising an elec'troFniai'gnet' including a pair 'of substantially fvertical, elongated, and oppositely facing "'pole line'sof force horizontally'between the poleffa'c'es, apair of "extra" pole pieces; one adjacent the lower end of each opposed face' decreasi'ng the gapbetween the pole pieces to produce a maximum concentration of parallel lines of force in the magnetic field between the lower portions of the pole faces; a vertical, elongated chute of non-magnetic material disposed between the pole faces and in the path of said parallel lines of force, the lower end of the chute terminating at a level above the lower ends of the pole pieces; means above the chute for introducing elongated magnetizable articles into the chute in rapid succession for mutually parallel orientation thereof along said parallel lines of force; means under the chute for elevating an empty container relative to the chute and positioning the container under and adjacent the lower end of the chute and between the pole pieces to receive the elongated articles from the chute; and means associated with the electro-magnet for deactivating the magnetic field and thereby permitting. the oriented articles to fall into the container by gravity while they are in mutual parallelism.

2. A nail packaging machine comprising an electro-magnet including a pair of substantially vertical, elongated, and oppositely facing pole pieces for producing a magnetic field of parallel lines of force horizontally between the pole faces, the faces of said pole pieces being closer to one another at the lower end than at the upper end to produce a maximum concentration of parallel lines of force in the magnetic field between the lower portions of the pole faces; a vertical, elongated chute of non-magnetic material disposed between the pole faces and in the path of said parallel lines of force, the lower end of the chute terminating at a level above the lower ends of the pole pieces; means above the chute for introducing elongated magnetizable articles into the chute in rapid succession for mutually parallel orientation thereof along said parallel lines of force; means under the chute for elevating an empty container relative to the chute and positioning the container under and adjacent the lower end of the chute and between the pole pieces to receive the elongated articles from the chute; and means associated with the electromagnet for deactivating the magnetic field and thereby permitting the oriented elongated articles to fall into the container by gravity while they are in mutual parallelism.

3. A nail packaging machine comprising an electromagnet including a pair of substantially vertical, elongated, and oppositely facing pole pieces tilted slightly away from one another for producing a magnetic field of parallel lines of force horizontally between the pole faces, the faces of said pole pieces being closer to one another at the lower end than at the upper end to 6 produce "a" state-ate lines of force in the magnetic field be lower portions of the pole' fa'ces a vet gaitecrchiite of non magnet 'c materia between the-pelefaces thepa-th of are paiauei-ii s-"of-for'c' cBYita-inerrelative- {to "the c ute arid-pen e ci 'tainr llnder 'aihd' adjacntithe lower n 'rfians associatedwith he' eletromagriet f" activatiii'g "tl'ie' 'iiia'gnetic field "ahd thereby" permitting the oriented elongated articles to fall into the container by gravity while they are in mutual parallelism.

4. A machine for packaging elongated magnetizable objects in parallelism comprising an electromagnet including a pair of substantially identical and symmetrically opposed vertical pole pieces for producing a magnetic field of parallel lines of force horizontally between the pole faces, the faces of said pole pieces being closer to one another at their lower ends than at their upper ends to produce a greater concentration of magnetic flux in the field between the lower portions of the pole faces; a vertical elongated chute of non-magnetic material disposed in symmetry between said pole pieces, the lower end '01 the chute terminating at a level above the lower ends of the pole pieces; means above the chute for intermittently 4 introducing predetermined batches of elongated magnetizable objects into the chute in rapid succession for the mutually parallel orientation thereof as they fall into the magnetic field above the pole pieces; means below the chute for elevating an empty container relative to the chute and positioning the container under and contiguous with the lower end i of the chute and between the pole pieces to receive the elongated magnetizable objects from the chute; means associated with the electromagnet for deactivating the magnetic field thereby permitting the mutually paralleled objects to fall en masse into the container by gravity; means for lowering the container to a point below the said magnetic field prior to reenergizing it for the successive batch.

5. A method of packaging magnetizable elongated articles in substantial parallelism which comprises generating, by actuation of an electromagnet including a pair of substantially vertical, elongated and oppositely facing pole pieces, a vertically extended and graduated magnetic field of substantially horizontal and parallel lines of force Within and across a vertical, elongated guide chute of non-magnetic material between said pole pieces, said magnetic field having a maximum density at the lower end of said field, positioning a container for said magnetizable elongated articles within and above said lower end of said field and under and adjacent the lower end of the chute, introducing separately and in rapid succession into the upper end of said field the magnetizable elongated articles to be packaged to bring them into substantial parallelism with one another and to concentrate them at said lower end and within the container, and 7 deactivating said magnetic field to pack said magnetizable elongated articles into said container by the action of gravity.

6. A method of packaging magnetizable elongated articles in substantial parallelism within a container which comprises generating a vertically extended magnetic field whose lower portion embraces a container wherein the articles are to be packaged and in which field the lines of magnetic flux are substantially horizontal and parallel and the flux density increases from the 10 8 the field, and then extinguishing the magnetic field to permit the articles further to concentrate in the container by the action of gravity.

STUART OTTO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 731,036 Gates June 16, 1903 834,175 Waring Oct. 23, 1906 901,765 Wright Oct. 20, 1908 1,080,435 Gamper Dec. 2, 1913 1,330,113 Gamper Feb. 10, 1920 2,224,505 Unger Dec. 10, 1940 2,425,520 Dutoit Aug. 12, 1947 

